Car-coupling



(No Model.)

Y T. M. GALLAGHER.

GAR coUPIJre..` No. 512,692. Patented Jan. 16., 1894.

UNITED STATES rPATENT Genios". 'Y

THOMAS M. GALLAGHER, or sT. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,692, dated January16, 1 894.

Application iiled October 19,1893. Serial Noi 488,572. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. GALLAGHER,

of St. Louis, Missouri, have made a new and use ful Improvement in CarCouplings, of whlch the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to couplings of the Vertlcal-plane type, and ithas reference more especially to the improved means for locking theknuckle, substantially as is hereinafter set forth and claimed, aided'by the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a view, partlyin plan and partly In horizontal section, of adraw-bar having the Improvement embodied therein; Fig. 2 a vertical,longitudinal section on the line 2--2 of 1, the knuckle being closed andthe locking pin being dropped to lock it; Fig. 3 a vlew analogous tothat of Fig. 2, 4saving that the locking pinA is raised to releasethe'knuckle; Fig. 4 an elevation of the front face 'of the block that ispart of the knucklelocking mechanism; Fig. 5 an elevation of theknuckle; and Fig. 6 a side-elevation of the locking-block.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts. v

The draw-bar, A, and the knuckle, B, respectively, may be'of any of thelordinary forms to which the improvement under consideration isadaptable, and saving as modiied or supplemented by the embodimenttherein of theimprovement the draw bar and knuckle are constructed andoperated in the usual manner. The knuckle is pivoted, atb, to swinghorizontally, and it is shown closed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and its openportion is indicated in broken lines in Fig.'1. The means for lockingthe knuckle in its closed position are as follows:

C represents a pin held, and adapted to be adjusted vertically, in thedraw-bar. The pin by itself is not intended for a lock, but rather as ameans for directing or assisting the Inovementor adjustment of anotherpart which performs the office of a lock, and which, when the knuckle isclosed and the partis arranged in front, or in the way, of theknuckle-finger b', constitutes the immediate means for preventing theknuckle from'swinging outward on its pivot, but at the same time withoutstraining, vor causing to be strained, the pin to which the part isattached.

The preferred form of the described part is shown; namely, a block,ID,`whioh can be adj usted vertically, and which, when in the plane,vertically, of the knuckle finger b', is

Vinterposed between the finger and some shoulder or abutment upon thedraw-bar, and so that when a pulling strain upon the knuckle occurs itissustained ultimately by the said shoulder or abutment, and, asstated,without straining the pin. y

I desire not to be restricted to any relative shape of the part D, andthe coacting shoulder or abutment d, or to any relative shape of knucklefinger b and part D, so long as the thrust, in pulling upon the knuckle,is transmitted from the knuckle-finger through the part D to the saidshoulder or abutment without at the samel time straining the pin withwhich the said part is connected;

The part D in practice is substantially of a cubical form and the drawbar is chambered at Ct substantially as shown to receive it. The sided', is presented tothe knuckle finger when'the knuckle is closed, andthe opposite side d2, to the shoulder or abutment d. The block isperforated at cl3 to receive the pin C. The perforation in diameter islarger than the pin at that point to enabletlie block to have asu'fcient lateral play upon thepin for it, the block, to be moved tobear against the abutment d before it' can bear laterally upon the pin.The block, however, is hung upon the pin both so that when the block islifted the pin is thereby raised in the drawbar, and when theY pin islifted the block is lifted with it. The preferable mode 0faccom plishingthis is to form a shoulder o upon the pin for the block in rising toencounter, and to form another shoulder c2 upon the pin which encountersthe block when the pin is lifted. This last mentioned shoulder isconveniently formed by applying a tube o3 to the pin substantially asshown. The tube is secured by the key o4, and thus, by removing the keyand Slipping the tube from off the pin the block and pin can be readilydetached from each other, and the two parts made' removable from thedraw-bar. While the block may be otherwise lifted to enable the knucklelinger b' to'pass it in closing the knuckle I IOC prefer to adapt theblock, and with it the pin, to be lifted by the knuckle finger inclosing the knuckle. To this end, the end of the linger is beveledsubstantially as shown at b2 and the block has its front d4 beveledsubstantially as shown at d5 to coact with the nger-bevel, and so thatas the finger is swung inward against the block it shall operate towedge the block upward sufficiently for the finger to pass it. As thedescribed action of the finger tends to twist theblock around it isdesirable to extend the block rearwardly, say in the form of theprojection CZ, to provide an additional bearing against the side, d2, ofthe draw-bar and thus better keep the block in place.

The draw-bar has a chamber a3 into which the block more or less riseswhen lifted, and the projection d6 is made shallow to enable ghe blockto enter suiciently into the cham- The operation of the couplingis asfollows: NVhen pushed inward by the action of the knuckle of theopposing draw bar the knuckle B swings and its finger b is pressedagainst the block D; the block carrying the pin is lifted and theknuckle finger passes beyond it as shown in Fig. 3, and after the fingerhas passed the uplifted block and pin drop into position to lock thefinger, as shown substantially in Figs. l and 2, and the finger remainslocked until the block carrying the pin has again been raised to clearthe finger. Any suitable means may be employed to lift the pin, and ifdesired any auxiliary meansa spring for instance-may be used toaccelerate the dropping of the pin after the finger has passed it.Theweight of the pin .and block, especially in view of the movementbeing in a vertical direction, usually suffices to insure the promptreplacement of the block in front of the finger. The pin, however, canbe used as a thrust-bar to depress the block in the event the blockbecomes caught in its up-position, and the pin also as stated, serves asa handle for lifting the block, and also to guide the block in respectto its position longitudinally in the draw-bar; and in consequence ofthe pin being uplifted when the block is raised, and of the further factthat the pin-bearings are' further apart from the height of the block,it becomes easier to raise the block when the knuckle is being closed.It also prevents the block when lowered from being j ostled out of itsplace. Another office of the pin is that of an indicator. It is quitedesirable for the brakeman to be able to determine readily, andsometlmes at a considerable distance larger portion of the pin whichappears aboveA the draw-bar, and also by the diminished portion whichappears beneath the draw-bar.

The portion of the pin projecting beneath the draw-bar can also beeasily reached and the pin knocked upward in case the pin has becomefast in the draw-bar by reason of ice forming around it. The pin ispreferably furnished with a head c5 which, amongother things, serves tocover the joint in the drawbar around the pin.

It will be observed that the chamber 01,3 into which the block riseswhen lifted is contained in the head of the draw bar. This enables ablock of any desired depth to be used and thus the block can be made thefull height of the opposing end of the knuckle-finger. When the pin isloose enough in its bearing to permit of the block encountering thecoacting abutment CZ without cramping the pin in its bearing it isunnecessary for the block to have a lateral play upon the pin. I howeverprefer to have the block loose laterally upon the pin as described.

I claiml. In a car-coupling of the vertical plane type, the combinationof the knuckle, the locking-block, the pin, and the shoulder or abutmentfor sustaining the block when pressed by the knuckle finger, said blockbeing attached to said pin to lift it when the blockis raised by theknuckle-finger, and to enable the pin to be used to depress the blockwhen uplifted, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling of the Vertical plane type, the combination of thedraw-bar, the pin, and the locking block, said pin working vertically inbearings in said draw bar, and said locking block being attached, buthaving lateral play, upon said pin to enable the locking blockto liftsaid pin and to be movedlaterally thereon, as described.

3. The combination of the draw-bar chambered at a3, the knuckle, and thelockingblock, the finger of said knuckle being beveled and said blockhaving the rearward extension, substantially as described.

ICO

IIO

Witness my hand this 17th day of October,

